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The UAE aviation partnership with India to support India's goal of becoming a global aviation powerhouse. 

About UAE-India Aviation Ties

Strong Bilateral Foundations

The UAE is India’s closest aviation partner, hosting over 4.5 million Indian tourists in 2023. Airlines from both countries operate intensively:

• Indian carriers: Over 600 weekly flights to the UAE.
• UAE carriers (e.g., Emirates, Etihad): Over 500 weekly flights to India.

Critical Supply-Demand Mismatch

Despite this volume, regulations restrict growth:

• UAE airlines are confined to 15 Indian cities, excluding emerging hubs like Surat, Visakhapatnam, Indore, Tiruchirappalli, and Patna.
• Indian carriers face caps on expanding Dubai routes, a global connectivity hub.
• Soaring ticket prices (e.g., Mumbai-Dubai fares spiked during peak seasons) and limited traveler choices.

Rising Travel Demand

With India’s aviation market now the world’s third-largest domestic sector, estimates suggest a 10 million-passenger surge for every 1% rise in Indian passport holders. Current policies could limit this growth potential.

Way Forward

An updated aviation strategy will act as an economic multiplier, boosting trade, investment, and tourism.

By enhancing links, both nations can position themselves as anchors of South Asian-West Asian connectivity.

UAE firms could invest in UDAN-linked airports, promoting job creation and reducing repair costs.

UAE’s civil aviation authority could partner with India to train pilots, air traffic controllers, and technicians, addressing India’s talent gap.

Joint campaigns to highlight destinations like India’s heritage sites and UAE’s tourism hubs (e.g., Dubai Expo 2020, Abu Dhabi’s cultural attractions).

Co-investing in UDAN airports could enable hubs like Ranchi or Trivandrum to serve as gateways for regional and international travel.

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Source:

THE HINDU

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